Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 23:23:47 +1000
To: Chaumont Devin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: Geoff Heard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: UDT reaction to Australian army move
Resent-Message-ID: <"QcdabC.A.y8C.yU752"@malasada.lava.net>
Resent-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
X-Mailing-List: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> archive/latest/2138
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release: 11 pm AESummerT, Thursday 11 March 1999
East Timorese leader applauds Australian defence force readiness
moves. NEW YORK (11/3/99): East Timorese leader, Jo=E3o
Carrascal=E3o, today applauded Australia's move to set up a second
action-ready battalion and stationed in Darwin.
"I hope and believe this is a positive sign for East Timor," Mr
Carrascal=E3= o said. "I am taking it as a sign of two things - one,
that the Australian Government now believes Indonesia's time as
overlord of East Timor has ended, and two, that Australia is ready to
put people on the ground in East Timor to help ensure there is a
smooth transition to independence.
"When Australian soldiers land in Dili to support East Timorese in
regaining their independence and their pride, I personally guarantee
they will be welcomed with garlands of flowers. They will be repaying
the debt of blood Australia has owed the East Timorese people since
World War II." Mr Carrascal=E3o urged Australia to get the action-
ready brigade in place quickly.
"We are hearing from Dili daily that the infrastructure is collapsing
as the Indonesians who have held key jobs are pulled out by their
government or are fleeing of their own accord. The Indonesian
military and their paramilitary stooges are hijacking food, medicine
and other vital supplies. A little is creeping back into circulation
at horrendous black market prices.
"We could need intervention at any moment to prevent a major tragedy
through starvation and lawlessness as the Indonesian army throws
itself into a last bitter round of vindictive violence when it is
ordered out." Mr Carrascal=E3o, the world President of UDT (Timorese
Democratic Union), is in New York for the current round of tripartite
talks involving the United Nations, Indonesia and Portugal, on the
future of his troubled homeland. He said today he was "cautiously
optimistic" that what had looked like a delaying tactic by Indonesia -
its desire to reconsider some elements of the autonomy plan being
discussed - actually might be the opposite. "The Indonesian
Government just might be feeling the international momentum building
behind the moves for East Timor's independence. Rather than the
delaying action we feared, they might be looking at ways of speeding
it up so they can get it over and done with and concentrate on their
other problems."
=46URTHER INFORMATION:
Jo=E3o Carrascal=E3o, President, UDT (available on mobile in NY)
0418 767 1= 01
Issued on behalf of UDT by Geoffrey Heard & Associates
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Geoffrey Heard
GH&A Public Relations
Tel: +61 3 9583 0788
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ciao, /~\ /\ /\ /\ )|( .Cheers
/ . \ / / ____ / /_ / /_ __ __ �(o o)�
__o / / \ \/ / / __ \ / __ \ / __ \ / /_/ / .----ooO-(_)-Ooo----.
_`\<,_ \/ \__/ \____/ \____/ \____/ `--- / |[EMAIL PROTECTED]|
(_)/`(_)\_____________________________________/_/ `-------------------'
++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++
++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++
++++ http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm ++++
Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html
Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop
Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink
Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
